About us

The Antarctica Specialists™

A little more about the company and what we are about

The Travel Specialists Ltd, the holding company for The South America Specialists™, is a small, specialist tour operator to South America and Africa. Having lived and breathed travel and destinations for the last 10 years or so, the company has been borne out of a desire to put something out there that is honest and can be used by both backpackers and high end travellers alike.

Our Experience and Pricing

The team at the Travel Specialists have been tailormaking itineraries to Africa and South America since 2003 and so there are not many requests or itineraries that we have not covered in this time. The company was 8 years old in 2018 which we feel is a great milestone in such a tough global economy and shows that we are doing something right!

Frequently tour operators have a hidden agenda where hotels and locations are concerned. As we all operate on a commission structure, many will favour hotels that pay them best, often regardless of how good the product actually is! We have endeavoured to visit all of the properties in a given destination and thus are very well placed in order to select which really are the best for our clients.

Moreover, this service is free! We charge exactly the same or less than if you were to book the hotels direct, and take away all of the pain... and also offer our know-how and recommendations.

Why Book With us?

Stage 1 - Resources - we can provide you with will all of the information about the destination possible with our consultants on hand to help you pick the right itinerary for you. As we travel out to each destination we sell regularly, our knowledge and experience is second to none. Presentations are highly recommended!

Stage 2 - Booking - with strong relationships with all the suppliers we find the best deals possible at the best lodges available.

Stage 3 - Before You Go - we help advise about what to take with you, jabs, clothing, recommended restaurants, recommended reading.

Stage 4 - While You Travel - we have on hand agents wherever you go to help with any requirements or amendments you may have. Emergency phone numbers and emails that are manned 24/7 should you need anything. We also try to provide you with little surprises throughout your trip.

Stage 5 - When You Get Back - we will give you a call to see how it all went as customer feedback is hugely important to us and the people we send you to. It need only be a word or a sentence. We hope that you enjoy the process with us but, if you aren't happy with anything at all then please let us know!!!

 

 

 

 

 

ATOL Bonding

ATOL logoAs explained in the “Financial Protection” section of the site, we are a fully bonded and accredited ATOL license holder which protects your money should anything happen to the company so you can book with the peace of mind that your funds are protected.

IAATO - International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators

We only work with boats and companies that are part of this excellent Association. In order to become a member the companies that work out in Antarctica have strict guidelines to follow as far as their impact on this pristine environment is concerned. We take our part in sending visitors to this, the last untouched corner of the planet, very seriously and so want to assure that our trips are having the least possible impact.

LATA – Latin American Travel Association

We are a fully accredited member of LATA (Nick, our Managing Director, has just been voted by the members of the association onto the committee which is an honour to be recognised within our industry) which is the recognised industry body that regulates and represents South America travel in the UK and globally. Please see more about the company and the Association by clicking here.

Registered Company

The company has been registered in the UK since 2010 with Companies House as the Travel Specialists Ltd. and our company number is 6998048 for those that would like to see a bit more about the company.

Social Responsibility

We are very firm believers in the travellers' mantra of "only take pictures and leave footprints" and have worked with some of the very best local charities and organisations in each of the destinations that we work. Recently we have also started to work with Responsible Travel tailoring some specialist trips for clients who want to get a little more involved in the destinations that they are travelling to. For more information please visit our Social Responsibility page.

Testimonials

On a final note, we are also very proud of the fact that we always post any feedback we receive from our clients and that it is 100% genuine and un-edited. Please see what they have been saying about us and our service. Read more…

We have also recently started to use Trustpilot to post unedited reviews from past clients so please also take a look at our page on there (https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.thesouthamericaspecialists.com) and feel free to write a review if you like!